FAQs: Headshots & Modeling 101

Last week I spoke to the woman about headshots for her daughter and she had a lot of questions, questions in which the answers to, industry people may assume to be common knowledge, but this call reminded me how things are not as well known to many perspective clients, as one may think. So I wrote this post to answer all of those FAQs.

Big Island, Big Adventure

The sunsets in Waikoloa, Hawaii, March 2, 2013,

At the end of last month I took a few days to explore a part of the country I had never seen been. Although I had been to two Hawaiian islands before, this was my first trip to the Big Island, and it was bigger than I expected. Circumnavigating the volcanic isle took hours and the winding roads lead to long hikes like the one to a green sand beach and a midnight treacherous trek across a rocky expanse that led to an expansion on our 50th state.

Chicago Headshot Photographer: Model Kelsey S

Chicago headshot photographer

I was recently inspired by several youtube videos showcasing multiple photographer and their work. The clips sparked a desire deep within me to try out several new techniques and before I knew it, I had 9 lighting set-ups diagrammed. Here are some of the results.

Environmental Portrait: DuPont Pioneer President Paul Schickler

DuPont Pioneer President Paul Schickler poses for a portrait in Chicago, February 22, 2013. REUTERS/John Gress (UNITED STATES)

Sometimes life throws you a curve ball. You never know when its coming and you never know if it will be a good thing or a bad thing. Today, when photographing Dupont Pioneer President Paul Schickler for an environmental portrait to match an interview, I started looking around the office building where the interview would take place for a backdrop. I was in luck they had this really cool curvy retro chair in the lobby.

Chicago Headshot & Fashion Photography: Brooke T

As a photographer, you can come up with as many ideas and lighting concepts as you want, but they will all fall short unless you have a good model. Brooke T is not just a good model, she is stunning.